Duplicity
by liatli-1228
Summary: Ryder has a plan. but it back-fires. Ryder/Caroline fic
1. Default Chapter

Title: Duplicity  
  
Author: Liatli  
  
Disclaimer: still not anyone's but the WB's (and them's, lol, whoever 'them' is.ya know.the creators? Yeah. Okay.)  
  
Part 1:  
  
Flicking a cigarette onto the ground, Ryder opened the door to Friendly's. He never thought he'd see the day when he actually stepped foot in Friendly's. But he'd heard a rumor and he had to see if it was true. Cold blue eyes swept around the room.  
  
Will Krudski and Scout Calhoun were behind the counter. At the counter sat the perfect couple, both blonde, beautiful, chatting with Krudski and sharing a soda and some fries. The hands they weren't using to eat with were inter-twined. Hamilton Flemming and Jake Pratt sat in a booth in the corner, completely immersed in conversation and lunch, oblivious to their surroundings. Some girls from the Edmund High drama club (advertised on their T-shirts) sat at a table, chatting, laughing, and drinking sodas or shakes. A few girls checked him out, trying to gain eye contact with him. Ryder just ignored them. He didn't "slum" with the townies. Some Edmund jocks sat at another table, in their letter jackets, talking, eating, and alternating between checking out the drama girls and keeping a defensive eye on him. Ryder dismissed them as harmless.  
  
A frown forming on his face, Ryder's narrowed eyes nearly skipped over the small, elegant figure in the corner, bent over a textbook and absently playing with the straw in a cup of soda. The corners of his lips curled upwards as he walked towards the counter, his eyes not leaving the person in the corner. He clenched and unclenched his fist in an unconscious, impatient gesture as Will told the couple to hold on and walked over to Ryder.  
  
"Yeah." Ryder turned to look at Will,  
  
"Now, William, that's hardly civil. Aren't you waiters supposed to say 'what may I get you, sir'?" Will squinted and said,  
  
"What do you want, Forrest?" Ryder smiled angelically,  
  
"Good enough, I guess. I'll have." Ryder studied the list on the wall behind Will's head and tapped a finger to his pursed lips thoughtfully. After a few minutes of Will's finger drumming, foot tapping, and glaring, Ryder said,  
  
"A coke." Will sighed and turned around to fill a glass. Turning back around, the glass in hand, will said,  
  
"A dollar twenty-five. Free refills." Ryder slid his wallet out of his back pocket and dropped the money onto the counter. Smiling, he took the soda and walked towards the table in the far corner.  
  
A shadow fell over the table, blocking the majority of the light. Looking up, an impatient look in her eyes, Caroline said,  
  
"Do you mind?" when she realized it was Ryder, taking care to keep her facial expression neutral, she said,  
  
"Oh. You." Ryder smiled cheekily,  
  
"Now, darling, is that the best 'hello' you can give me? How 'bout a hug? A kiss? An 'I've missed you'?" Caroline rolled her eyes, turning back to her math book.  
  
"Can I help you with something?"  
  
"Actually, I was wondering if this seat was taken." Caroline waved a hand absently,  
  
"Take it." She heard the chair scrape out, but was surprised when she heard Ryder sit down in it. She looked up. Ryder smiled at Caroline, then took a sip of his coke. Trying to stay calm, civil, Caroline closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and counted to 10 in her head. Then she opened her eyes and said,  
  
"Why are you sitting here? Can't you tell I'm studying? I have an exam in 45 minutes. Don't you have somewhere to be?" unfazed, Ryder shrugged,  
  
"Let's see." Ticking the answers off on his fingers as he went along, he said,  
  
"Because I wanted the pleasure of your company. Yes, I see that you're studying. I'll be quiet. Weren't exams 2 months ago? And no, I have no where to be. Unless you count the American Lit class I'm missing." Frustrated, and trying not to smile, Caroline said,  
  
"Then unless you are going to help me study, I suggest you get to you American Lit class." Ryder shrugged, set his glass down, then proceeded to scoot his chair over, next to Caroline's. He tilted the book slightly towards him and studied to page. He said,  
  
"Ah, Algebra II. Fun." Caroline frowned and said sarcastically,  
  
"Sure. Fun."  
  
"What don't you understand?"  
  
Eyebrows raised in disbelief, Caroline rattled off a brief list of concepts she couldn't quite get. Smiling, Ryder launched into an easy and surprisingly intelligent explanation of how to find inverse functions. 


	2. Part 2

Tile: Duplicity  
  
Author: Liatli  
  
Disclaimer: not mine. Puh-lease.  
  
Part 2:  
  
Ryder smiled to himself as he eased the Corvette around a bend. Caroline sat, beaming, next to him as he hair whipped around her head and shoulders.  
  
Laughing to himself as he glanced at her briefly, Ryder shouted to Caroline,  
  
"Where should I drop you, doll?" Caroline shouted, leaning closer to Ryder,  
  
"What?" Ryder said, louder,  
  
"Where should I let you off?" Caroline answered just as a car passed them. Her voice was drowned out. Ryder said,  
  
"Repeat!" Caroline leaned closer, pressing her mouth to Ryder's ear. He sucked in a breath as she said, her breath whispering over him,  
  
"The main building." Ryder nodded stiffly and Caroline pulled back. His shoulder relaxed slowly. Ryder frowned. He hadn't been aware that he'd tensed up. Ryder automatically tensed again when he felt Caroline's mouth against his ear. She said,  
  
"Is it too much of a problem?" she pulled back slightly. He shook his head swiftly, "Why do you ask?" Caroline leaned forwards again,  
  
"You frowned." The corner of Ryder's mouth quirked. He said,  
  
"It's no trouble at all. Don't worry about it." Smiling again, Caroline settled back into her seat.  
  
Caroline hopped out of the car, grabbing her book from the back. She shut the car door and waved to Ryder.  
  
"Thank you so much." Ryder smiled charmingly.  
  
"No problem, doll. Good luck on your exam." Smiling, Caroline turned around and began to walk off. She stopped when she heard Ryder call out,  
  
"Caro!" she turned around, looked at Ryder. He smiled,  
  
"It was good to see you again." Caroline just smiled, then turned and continued in the direction of the building in front of her.  
  
Ryder's smile widened as he studied Caroline's swaying hips, narrow waist, and long legs, emphasized in the chic mini-shirt settled low on her waist and the halter-top that bared about an inch and a half of stomach (to just below her belly-button) and the smooth expanse of her middle and upper back. Her heeled sandals made a slight clicking noise on the gravel of the walkway and her long, brown hair blew in the slight breeze. She tossed her head and shifted her book on her hip as she gingerly climbed the steps up to the front door of the building, then she disappeared inside.  
  
Having Caroline back would be fun. He still didn't know where she'd been, but he intended to find out. Sighing, Ryder shifted his car back into 'drive' and sped off towards the dorms.  
  
Caroline winced as she walked outside for the first time in almost 3 hours. Outside everything was so bright compared to the dimness inside of the classrooms.  
  
Caroline hated exams. She was making them up because she had been absent when exams had been taken a couple months ago. She still had 2 left. Chemistry and French. French was easy. Her mother was French, and French had been Caroline's first language.  
  
Lost in her own thoughts, Caroline didn't pay attention to where she was going and she walked straight into someone, dropping her book on her foot. Wincing, she bent over to grab her toes. She looked up to see whom she had bumped into. Seeing that it was Will, who, too, had been lost in thought, she straightened, grabbing her book. Wincing a little as she set her foot down, Caroline said,  
  
"Will Krudski. This is a surprise." Will said,  
  
"Caroline." Smiling slightly, Caroline began to edge around Will, towards the dorms behind him. She said hurriedly,  
  
"Gosh, Will. It's been ages. How are you?" Will smiled slightly,  
  
"Okay. You?" Caroline smiled, though her smile looked more like a grimace,  
  
"Been better, actually. My toes are throbbing. But.I should go put ice on them. See ya later." With a short wave, Caroline limped towards the ivy- covered building.  
  
Ryder couldn't resist the smile. Caroline never ceased to amuse him. She was so damned cute, dropping that book on her toes, then limping away while trying to end the awkward conversation with that useless (brilliant, but useless) lump, Krudski.  
  
Ryder sat on the bench outside the dorms and waited patiently for Caroline to come back out.  
  
He was rewarded about 30 minutes later. After about 4 cigarettes, Caroline came prancing out of the building with her arm through another girl's, giggling and whispering. Ryder called out as she passed him,  
  
"Caro!" surprised, Caroline twirled around and saw Ryder sitting down on the bench. She said,  
  
"Hello, Ryder." He smiled charmingly at her friend and, standing up said, "I don't believe we've met. I am Ryder Forrest. And you are.ravishing." Ryder grasped the girl's hand and turned it palm-up, placing a kiss on her palm. The girl blushed and giggled,  
  
"My name's Eve." Ryder murmured her name and looked into her eyes. Eve giggled, glancing at Caroline, then back at Ryder, thoroughly enchanted. Caroline rolled her eyes, holding back her disgust at Ryder's behavior. She said, "What do you want Ryder?" Ryder glanced at Caroline,  
  
"I was going to ask for your company to dinner tonight. That is.if you don't have other plans." Caroline glanced at Eve and said,  
  
"Actually-" Eve cut her off,  
  
"She's free!" Ryder smiled smugly at Caroline,  
  
"Wonderful. I'll pick you up at.6?" Caroline glared at Eve, who nodded at Ryder and said in a breathy whisper,  
  
"That would be perfect. She'll be there." He grinned,  
  
"I'll pick you up here?" Nodding curtly, Caroline dragged Eve away from Ryder. But not fast enough. Eve called out breathlessly, as if in a lovesick trance,  
  
"Good bye, Ryder!" then Eve turned to Caroline and giggled,  
  
"Oh my! He's so gorgeous! Oh, you're lucky." Caroline didn't respond to that comment.  
  
Hearing and observing that, Ryder laughed, then turned, walking to his car parked in the road in front of the building. 


	3. Part 3

Title: Duplicity  
  
Author: Liatli  
  
Disclaimer: duh.  
  
Part 3:  
  
"Damn it, Eve. I do not want to go out with Ryder! Tonight or any night!" Eve frowned at Caroline as they sat on the pier, their legs dangling over the sides. "Well, why-ever not?" Caroline sighed, lying back on the dock and closing her eyes.  
  
"We.dated once. Well, more aptly put, he played me. He took me out a few times, paid Will Krudski to write a poem for him for me so I would sleep with him, which I did, then I caught him making out with another girl the very next day. And they had been going out for a few weeks by then, too!" Eve stared at Caroline, shocked,  
  
"Oh my goodness! That's him?"  
  
"What, you heard? You've only been here for a month!"  
  
"I meant 'that's him' as in the one that made you spurn guys. I mean, the girls have told me how, for the past year and a half you haven't had one date. Haven't even considered dating anyone." Caroline frowned,  
  
"Hey, maybe I want to focus on school. You don't know." Eve just stared at Caroline knowingly, in silence. Caroline finally sighed,  
  
"Okay.okay. They're right. What can I say. You know the saying: Once burned, twice shy." Eve sighed,  
  
"He sure is gorgeous, though." The corner of Caroline's mouth twitched. She murmured,  
  
"I know." Eve giggled, but she abruptly stopped. She reached over and tugged on Caroline's arm, trying to get her to sit up. Eve hissed,  
  
"There he is!" Caroline frowned, sitting up,  
  
"Who, Ryder?" Eve shook her head,  
  
"No! That guy I was telling you about. He's in my English class.oh my god, he's gorgeous."  
  
Caroline looked in the direction Eve was pointing and saw 2 figures lazing by the guy's docks, fooling around with 2 golden retrievers. One was clad in a hooded sweatshirt and baggy pants, despite the summer heat. The other, more sensibly, was dressed in a Rawley Crew tank top and some cut-offs riding precariously low on his hips. They looked utterly relaxed as the one in the tank top idly tossed a tennis ball, sending the huge dogs careening after it, only to return moments later with the ball in one of their mouths.  
  
"Which one, Eve?" Eve giggled,  
  
"The one in the tank top. He's got that shaggy black hair and those piercing blue eyes.and his mouth." Eve heaved a huge, dreamy sigh and Caroline had to suppress a snort. Word was that the boy, Hamilton Flemming, was gay. Gay and completely devoted to Jake Pratt, the figure lying beside him in the grass by the dock. In fact, those words had been circling for a long time. What was it, 2 years? Three? Caroline shrugged. What did it matter? From what she could see, the rumors were true. They went everywhere, did everything together. Well, being dorm-mates, one would think they'd be friends. But.they carried the word 'friend' to a whole new level. Caroline hated to burst Eve's pretty little bubble, but she didn't want her to get hurt.  
  
"Eve? Honey, I need to tell you something about that boy." Eve looked at Caroline inquisitively. Her warm brown eyes were twinkling and her short, blondish-red hair caught the sun. Caroline continued,  
  
"That boy, Hamilton? He's.gay." Frowning, Eve cocked her head to the side, "Excuse me?" Caroline shrugged helplessly,  
  
"He's gay. The guy next to him, Jake? That's his roommate, best friend, and.supposedly.boyfriend." Frowning now, Eve turned back to look at Hamilton and Jake. She watched the way Hamilton looked at Jake while Jake talked, using his slender hands for emphasis. It was an animated conversation, as far as Eve could tell, and the expressions flitting across Jake's face were almost comical. They held Eve captive and she felt she could almost hear the story, understand it, just by watching Jake tell it. Looking at Hamilton, she saw that he, too, was captivated. And if she looked hard enough, she could see in Hamilton's expression that he wasn't enchanted just by the conversation, but also by Jake, himself. When the story ended, Jake flopped onto his back, laughing loudly, and he flung an arm across his eyes, then let it fall to his side. Eve watched as Hamilton scooted towards Jake and leaned slightly over him, as if to not lose a moment's contact with Jake's eyes. Frowning now, Eve watched as Hamilton pursed his lips slightly and leaned down, as if leaning in to kiss Jake. But before he got very far he blushed, pulled back, glanced around nervously, and scooted a little bit away again. Sighing, Eve turned back to Caroline,  
  
"Well, hell." Smiling widely, Caroline declared,  
  
"You don't need him, Eve. We'll find you someone else. Someone better. But for now.let's swim." Standing up, Caroline peeled off her skirt and shirt, revealing a tiny baby blue bikini. Smiling at Eve, she dove neatly into the water. 


End file.
